ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. present — the time now
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. suit — clothes
  10. club — for dancing
  11. suit — to fit
  12. tube — a container
  13. roll — a list
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bound — certain
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bound — tied together
  18. suit — in cards
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. present — there
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. roll — a cake
  23. present — a gift
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com